Washing agents containing an aminocarbonamide textile softener and process of washing and softening textiles

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a process for washing and softening of textiles with the use of washing liquors with a defined content of (1) anionic and, optionally, non-ionic tensides, (2) an aliphatically substituted aminocarbonamide of the formula

AU 165 EX United States Patent 1191 1111 3,862,905

Eckert 1 Jan. 28, 1975 [54] WASHING AGENTS CONTAINING AN 3.351.483 11/1967 Miner et al. 252/544 X 3.704.228 I H1972 ECKCI'I CI LII. 252/915 X SOFTENER AND PROCESS OF WASHING 3.730.912 5/1973 lnamorato 252/102 X 3.759.847 9/1973 Martineau ct al. 252/544 AND 5()FTE1\|N(- TEXTILES 3.795.704 3/1974 Dicry ct 111. 352/544 x [75] Inventor: Hans-Werner Eckert, Dusseldorf.

Germany Primary l:'.\'an11'm'rLcland A. Sebastian [73] Assignee: Henkel & Cie GmhH, Dusseldorf. E- M'llcr Germany Almrney. Agcnl. 0r FlrmNclson L1ltcll. Jr. 1221 Filed: Feb. 26, 1973 1211 Appl. No.: 335,757 [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a process for washing and 30 F A P D t softening of textiles with the use of washing liquors M. y "on y a 8 355 with a defined content of I) anionic and. optionally. ermm) non-ionic tensides. (2) an aliphatically substituted U Cl 252/98 252/102 252/110 aminocarbonamide ofthe formula 252/117. 252/525, 252/544 [51] Int. Cl...... Clld 3/065, Cl 1d 3/32, Clld 1/12 I 158 Field of Search 252/98. 102, 110, 117, where R 15 an dliplwtic hydrocarbon radical and A is 252 525 544 methylene, ethylene or ethylidene. as a textile softener. and (3) builders. as well as the washing agent 5 References cu compositions for the performance of the process.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 17'1960 Schramm 252/544 UX 15 Claims, N0 Drawings WASHING AGENTS CONTAINING AN AMINOCARBONAMIDE TEXTILE SOFTENER AND PROCESS OF WASHING AND SOFTENING TEXTILES THE PRIOR ART After drying washed textiles, especially those of cotton, linen or similar cellulose fibers, a distinct harshening of the handle is to be noted especially when these textiles have been washed in drum washing machines and, in addition, their properties of use are undesirably changed. This phenomenon is particularly unpleasant in the case of laundered articles which come in contact with human skin during use, particularly underwear, bed linen and towels. In addition, considerable value is also attached to a pleasant handle in the case of other laundered articles such as, for example, table linen.

It is known that this undesired harshening of the handle can be reversed by after-treatment of the laundered goods with a softening rinsing agent, that contains essentially quaternary ammonium compounds with two long-chain aliphatic residues in the molecule. As this means an additional operation in the practice, numerous proposals have been made, in which the textile softening agent is directly added to the washing agent. Hereby predominantly quaternary ammonium salts of the named type were used. Since such quaternary ammonium salts are notoriously incompatible with anionic detergent substances, particularly with alkylbenzene sulfonates, an addition of quaternary ammonium salts to conventional washing agents, mostly containing anionic tensides, is, however, without practical importance.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is the development of textile softeners which are substantive and compatible with neutral to alkaline textile washing agents and processes of utilizing the same in the washing of textiles with anionic detergent substances in a one-step washing process.

Another object of the present invention is the devel opment of a one-step process for the washing and softening of textiles which consists essentially of immersing soiled textiles in an aqueous softening washing liquor at temperatures of from 20C to 100C for a time sufficient to clean and soften said textiles and recovering said cleaned and softened textiles, said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath containing 1. from 0.15 to 0.5 gm/liter of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps and 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of nonionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 0.05 to 0.4 gm/liter of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;

3. from 0.6 to 2.0 gm/liter of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of said washing liquor bath is 7 or over.

with the proviso that the amount ofsaid tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.

A yet further object of the present invention is the development of a detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 12 to 50% by weight of a mixture of a surface-active component consisting essentially of:

1. from 50 to by weight of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from 0 to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps, at least some of said soaps having from 20 to 26 carbon atoms, and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 10 to 50% by weight of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl, having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene; 3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and 4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers; B. from 50 to 88% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and C. from 0 to 30% by weight of any one of the follow ing customary components of detergent compositrons: (a) bleaches and their stabilizers and activators, (b) soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners, (d) enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water; with the proviso that the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above drawbacks ofthe prior art have been overcome and the above objects have been achieved by the present invention, enabling the use of textile softening agents in the presence of anionic tensides and to wash and soften laundry, or to prevent its hardening, in one operation.

It has now been found that aliphatically substituted aminocarbonamides of Formula I wherein R denotes an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical with to 24. preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and A denotes methylene, ethylene or ethylidene, are suitable as textile softeners under the conditions of con ventional washing baths, particularly in the presence of anionic tensides.

The process for washing and softening of textiles is carried out with the use of washing liquors which contain anionic tensides and a textile softener, by treating the laundry, at a liquor temperature of 20C to 100C in known manner, and it is characterized in, that the wash liquors contain the following washing agent components;

a. from 0.15 to 0.5 gm/liter of a tenside component consisting substantially of anionic surface-active compounds of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type with preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps, and, optionally, non-ionic surface-active compounds,

b. from 0.05 to 0.4 gm/liter of an aminocarbonamide of the above defined Formula 1, serving as a textile softener, with the proviso that the amount of the tenside component is equal to or greater than the amount of the textile softener component,

c. from 0.6 to 2.0 gm/liter of builders, where at least a part of the builders react alkaline,

d. from 0.0 to 0.5 gm/liter of other customary ingredients of washing liquors from the group of soil suspension agents, foam regulators, bleach components, enzymes, optical brighteners, antimicrobial active compounds, etc.

The aminocarbonamides of Formula 1 that can be used according to the invention are partly known substances.

The aminoacetamides and a-aminopropionamides falling under Formula 1 can be obtained, for example, by reacting in aliphatic primary amine with formaldehyde or acetaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid, and subsequent partial saponification of the nitrile thus obtained according to a procedure described by Cook et al, Journal of the Chemical Society" 1949, Pg. 2334-2337.

German Published Application DAS No. 1,125,713 describes the production of the aminoacetamides of Formula 1 by reacting a primary aliphatic amine with chloroacetamide and its usefulness in pest control.

The B-aminopropionamides of Formula 1 are known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,085 as substances with surface-active properties. The production of these compounds is effected by reacting the primary amine with methyl acrylate and subsequent transformation of the ester into the amide with ammonia. The B-aminopropionamides of Formula 1 can also be obtained by adding the amine to acrylonitrile (Houben-Weyl Methoden der organischen Chemie", 4th ed. vol. 11/1, p.272 ff) and subsequent saponification to the amide or addition of the primary amide to acrylamide.

The aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals R in the compounds of Formula 1 can be ofa synthetic or natural origin. Preferred for R are straight-chained saturated radicals or those saturated by one or two double bonds. The compounds of Formula 1 can also be present and be used as mixtures. Such mixtures are obtained if the above mentioned production methods are utilized starting from technical amine mixtures, as they are obtained from naturally occurring fats, such as tallow, coconut fat, soybean oil, rape oil and rapeseed oil and their hydrogenation products, for example, by conversion into the fatty acid nitriles and their reduction to the primary amines.

In the washing process according to the invention, the duration and the liquor ratios depend on the textile goods to be washed, and on the customary conditions in the home, industrial laundries, and the textile industry. Accordingly, the temperature of the wash liquor and the concentration of the active substances contained therein can be varied within the indicated ranges.

1f the method according to the invention is carried out in the hot and boiling washing range, that is, at temperatures of substantially C to 98C, then percompounds can be added to the wash liquor corresponding to an amount of 0.01 to 0.05 gm/liter of active oxygen. For so-called easy-care textiles of cotton, linen, wool and synthetic fibers, like polyamide, polyacrylonitrile, polyester or polyurethane fibers, etc. the process is applied at low temperatures, preferably in the temperature range of between 30C and 60C.

The process according to the invention is suitable for all common textiles, particularly for textiles of cellulose material, such as cotton and linen. With the process, the hardening of the washed goods can be prevented or eliminated to a great extent in a simple and, for the user, a convenient manner. Another advantage of the process is that the absorbtivity of the treated textiles is practically not affected. In addition, the treated washed textile materials have antistatic properties, which im' proves particularly the service value of textiles containing synthetic fibers of the above-mentioned type.

The invention relates furthermore to a washing composition for carrying out the process. The softening, particularly powdered, washing detergent is characterized by a composition in the range ofthe following formulation:

12 to 50%, preferably 15 to 30% by weight of a surface-active combination, consisting substantially of 50 to of a tenside component consisting of anionic surface-active compounds of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type with preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps including a soap portion serving as a foam inhibitor and originating from saturated fatty acids with 2 to 26 carbon atoms, and, optionally, non-ionic surfaceactive compounds.

50 to 10% by weight of aminocarbonamide of the above defined Formula I 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers.

88 to 50%, preferably 84.5 to 55% by weight of builder salts, wherein at least a part of these builder salts reacts alkaline, and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts amounts preferably to 0.5 to 7 times, and particularly to l to 5 times the amount of the total surface-active combination, and

0 to 30%, preferably 0.5 to 15% by weight of other usual washing agent ingredients from the group of soil suspension agents, enzymes, optical brighteners, bleaching agents, antimicrobial agents, perfumes and dyes, and water, where the amount of the aminocarbonamide of Formula l in the total washing agent amounts to 2 to 20%, preferably 5 to 15% by weight.

As far as the washing agent, according to the invention, contains soap, the quantitative ratio of the anionic surface-active compounds of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type to soap is the range of 30:1 to 1:5, preferably 20:1 to 1:2.

The washing agent can also contain a bleaching component, which can amount to 5 to 25% of the total composition, including any optionally present stabilizers and/or activators.

As indicated, the washing agent composition of the invention is preferably a detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 12 to 50% by weight of a mixture of a surface-active component consisting essentially of:

1. from 50 to 90% by weight of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active slfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from 0 to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps, at least some of said soaps having from 20 to 26 car'- bon atoms, and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds:

2. from to 50% by weight ofa softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl, having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;

3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and

4. from 0 to 10% by weight or foam stabilizers;

B. from 50 to 88% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and

C. from 0 to 30% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositrons:

(a) bleaches and their stabilizers and activators,

(b) soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners,

(d) enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water;

with the proviso that the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.

In the washing agents, according to the invention, which are present in the form of liquids or pastes, the builder salts in the above formula are replaced completely or partly by water-soluble, organic solvents and- /or water.

Preferred are washing agents of solid, powdery consistency. Such powdery washing agents can be produced according to various known methods, where the textile softeners of the above definition, as well as certain other detergent ingredients, such as the nonsurface-active foam inhibitors, bleaches, enzymes, etc. are not worked into the aqueous charge but added subsequently to the powdery detergent. it is also of advantage to first transform these substances by mixing with a part of the builder salts into a dry powdery product, which is then added in known manner to the washing agent powder.

The ingredients of the softening washing agents will be described more fully below ordered according to classes of substances.

The tensides contain in the molecular at least one hydrophobic residue of mostly 8 to 26, preferably 10 to 22 and especially 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and least one anionic, nonionic or amphoteric water-solubilizing group. The preferably saturated hydrophobic residue is mostly aliphatic, but possibly also alicyclic in nature. lt may be combined directly with the water-solubilizing groups or through intermediate members, such as through benzene rings, carboxylic-acid ester links, carbonamide links or sulfonic-acid amide links as well as through etheror ester-like residues of polyhydric alcohols.

Soaps, which are derived from natural or syntheic fatty acids, possibly also from resin acids or naphthenic acids, are utilizable as anionic detergent substances, especially if these acids have iodine values of not more than 30 and preferably less than 10.

Among the synthetic anionic tensides, the sulfonates and sulfates possess particularly practical importance.

The sulfonates include, for example, alkylbenzenesulfonates with preferably straight-chain C especially C alkyl residues, alkanesulfonates, obtainable from preferably saturated aliphatic C especially (I hydrocarbons by sulfochlorination or sulfoxidation, mixtures of alkenesulfonates, hydroxyalkanesulfonates and alkanedisulfonates, known under the name of olefinsulfonates", which are formed by acidic or alkaline hydrolysis ofthe sulfonation products which first result from terminal or non-terminal C and preferably C olefins by sulfonation with sulfur trioxide. The sulfonates, utilizable according to the invention, include also salts, preferably alkali metal salts of a-sulfo fatty acids and salts of esters of these acids with mono or polyhydric alcohols with l to 4, and preferably l to 2 carbon atoms.

Further useful sulfonates are salts of fatty acid esters of hydroxyethanesulfonic acid or of dihydroxypropanesulfonic acid, the salts of the fatty alcohol esters of lower aliphatic or aromatic sulfomonoor dicarboxylic acids, containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, the alkylglycerylether sulfonates and the salts of the amide-like condensation products of fatty acids or sulfonic acids with aminoethanesulfonic acid.

Tensides of the sulfate type include fatty alcohol sulfates, especially those derived from coconut fatty alcohols, tallow fatty alcohols or from oleyl alcohol, also sulfatized fatty acid alkylolamides or fatty acid monoglycerides and sulfated alkoxylation products of alkylphenols (C alkyl), fatty alcohols, fatty acid amides, or fatty acid alkylolamides with 0.5 to 20, preferably 1 to 8, and particularly 2 to 4 ethylene and/or propyleneglycol residues in the molecule.

As anionic tensides of the carboxylate type, for example, the fatty acid esters or fatty alcohol ethers of hydroxycarboxylic acids, are suitable as well as the amide-like condensation products of fatty acids or sulfonic acids with aminocarboxylic acids, such as glycocoll, sarcosine or with protein hydrolysates.

The anionic tensides are mostly present as salts of the alkali metals, particularly of sodium, as well as the ammonium salts and salts of lower alkylamines or lower alkylolamines.

The nonionic tensides, for the sake of simplicity called hereafter "Nonionics", include the polyethyleneglycol ethers, obtained by addition of from 4 to 100, preferably 6 to 40 and especially 8 to mols of ethylene oxide to fatty alcohols, alkylphenols, fatty acids, fatty amines, fatty acid amides or sulfonic acid amides, as well as the still water-soluble adducts of propylene oxide or butylene oxide to the above. Furthermore, products known by the trade name Pluronics or Tetronics belong to the Nonionics. These products are obtained from water-insoluble polypropyleneglycols or from water-insoluble propoxylated lower aliphatic alcohols with l to 8 preferably 3 to 6 carbon atoms, or from water-insoluble propoxylated lower alkylenediamines, by ethoxylation until watersoluble. Finally, the partly water-soluble reaction products of the above-named aliphatic alcohols with propylene oxide, known as Ucon-Fluid can also be used as Nonionics.

Further useful Nonionics are fatty acid alkylolamides or sulfonic acid alkylolamides, derives, for example, from mono or diethanolamine, from dihydroxypropyl amine or other polyhydroxyalkyl amines, from dihydroxypropyl amine or other polyhydroxyalkyl amines, such as the glycamines. Also the oxides of higher tertiary amines with a hydrophobic alkyl residue and two shorter alkyl and/or alkylol residues, with up to 4 carbon atoms each, can be considered as Nonionics.

Amphoteric tensides contain in the molecule both acidic groups, such as carboxy], sulfonic acid, sulfuric acid half esters, phosphonic acid and phosphoric acid partial ester groups, and also basic groups, such as primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary ammonium groups. Amphoteric compounds with quaternary ammonium groups belong to the type ofthe betaines. Carboxy, sulfate and sulfonate betaines have a particularly practical interest because of their good compatibility with other tensides.

The foaming power of the tenside can be increased or reduced by combination of suitable tenside types, as well as changed by additions of non-tenside organic substances.

Suitable foam stabilizers, particularly in tensides of the sulfonate or sulfate type, are surface-active carboxy or sulfobetaines, as well as the above-named non-ionics of the alkylolamide type. Moreover, fatty alcohols or higiher terminal diols have been suggested for this purpose.

A reduced foaming power, that is desirable for the use in washing machines, is often attained by combination of different tenside types, such as of sulfates and/or sulfonates and/or of nonionics, on the one hand, with soaps, on the other hand. In soaps, the foam inhibition increases with the degree of saturation and the number of carbons in the fatty acid residue. Soaps derived from saturated C fatty acids have been proven good as foam inhibitors.

The non-tenside foam inhibitors included N- alkylated aminotriazines, optionally containing chlorine, which are obtained by the reaction of 1 mol ofcyanuric acid chloride with 2 to 3 mols ofa monoand/or dialkylamine with 6 to 20, preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radicals. Similarly effective are propoxylated and/or butoxylated aminotriazines, such as, products that are obtained by the addition of from 5 to 10 mols of propylene oxide to 1 mol of melamine and further addition of from 10 to 50 mols of butylene oxide to this propylene-oxide derivative.

Other non-tenside foam inhibitors are waterinsoluble organic compounds, such as paraffirns or halogenated paraffins with melting points below C, aliphatic C to C ketones as well as aliphatic carboxylic acid esters which contain in the acid or alcohol residue, optionally also in both ofthese residues, at least 18 carbon atoms (such as triglyceride or fatty acid/fatty alcohol esters). These compounds can be used for the inhibition of foam, above all in combinations of tensides of the sulfate and/or sulfonate type with soaps.

As particularly low-foaming nonionics which can be used both alone, and also in combination with anionic, amphoteric and nonionic tensides and to reduce the foaming power of better foaming tensides, addition products of propylene oxide to the above-described surface-active polyethyleneglycol ethers are suitable as well as the also above-described Pluronic", Tetronic and UconFluid types.

Suitable builder salts are weakly acid, neutral and alkaline reacting inorganic or organic salts, especially inorganic complex-foaming substances.

'Useful, weakly acid, neutral or alkaline-reacting salts according to the invention are, for example, the bicarbonates, carbonates, borates or silicates of the alkali metals, also mono-, di-or trialkali metal orthophosphate's, dior tetraalkali metal pyrophosphates, alkali metal metaphosphates known as sequestering agents, alkali metal sulfates as well as the alkali metal salts of organic non-surface-active sulfonic acids, carboxylic acids and sulfocarboxylic acids, containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. To them belong, for instance, the watersoluble salts of benzene-, toluene-or xylene-sulfonic acid, water-soluble salts of sulfoacetic acid, sulfobenzoic acid or salts of sulfodicarboxylic acids as well as the salts of the acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid.

Further usable as builders are the water-soluble salts, such as the alkali metal salts, of higher-molecular weight polycarboxylic acid, particularly polymerizates of maleic acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid, methylenemalonic acid and citraconic acid. Also mixed polymerizates of these acids with each other, or with other polymerizable substances, such as, ethylene, propylene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, 3-butenecarboxylic acid, 3-methyl-3-butenecarboxylic acid as well as with vinylmethyl ether, vinyl acetate, isobutylene, acrylamide and styrene, are usable.

Also suitable as sequestering builders are the weakly acidic reacting metaphosphates and the alkaline reacting polyphosphates, particularly tripolyphosphate. These compounds may be replaced completely or partially by organic sequestering agents.

The organic sequestering agents include, for example, nitrolotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-hydroxyethyl-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, polyalkylenepolyamine-N-polycarboxylic acids and other known organic sequestering agents. Also combinations of different sequestering agents may be used. The other known sequestering agents include also diand polyphosphonic acids of the following constitutions:

pounds as well as by H releasing peracidic salts, such as caroates (KHSO perbenzoates or perphthalates.

on, x on on x on x on f I I I I I I I I. o-P-c-P-o o-P-c-P-o R-N -G-P=O I- l I I I I r I on .n on on 2 on Y on .2

- x on no x x on I I 'I I I I O=P-C- n-n -rr -C-P=O r r on- 3 no, r 2 y ou 2 wherein R represents, alkyl and R represents alkylene residues with l to 8, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms; X and y represent hydrogen atoms or alkyl radicals with l to 4 carbon atoms and Z represents the groups OH, NH or NXR. For a practical use, the following compounds are considered above all: methylenediphosphonic acid, l-hydroxyethane-l,l-diphosphonic acid, l-aminoethane-l ,l-diphosphonic acid, aminotri-(methylenephosphonic acid), methylaminoor ethylaminodi-(methylenephosphonic acid), and ethylenediaminetetra-(methylenephosphonic acid). All these sequestering agents may be present as free acids, or preferably as their alkali metal salts.

Further, soil suspending agents or greying inhibitors may be contained in the softening washing preparations according to the invention, which hold the dirt loosened from the fiber suspended in the bath and thus prevent greying. Water-soluble colloids of mostly organic nature are suitable for this purpose, for example, the water-soluble salts of polymeric carboxylic acids, glue, gelatin, salts of ether-carboxylic acids or ether-sulfonic acids of starch or cellulose or salts of acid sulfuric acid esters of cellulose or starch. Water-soluble polyamides containing acid groups are also suitable for this purpose. Furthermore, soluble starch preparations and starch products other than those mentioned above can be used, forexample, degraded starch, and aldehyde starches. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is also useful.

The constituents of the softening, washing treatment compositions according to the invention, particularly, the builder substances, are usually chosen so that the preparations have a neutral to distinctly alkaline reaction, so that the pH value ofa 1% solution ofthe preparations mostly lie in the region from 7 to l2. Fine washing compositions usually have a neutral to weakly alkaline reaction (pH value 7 to 9.5), while boiling washing compositions are adjusted to be more strongly alkaline (pH value 9.5 to 12, preferably 10 to 11.5).

Among the compounds serving as bleaching agents, releasing H 0 in water, sodium perborate tetrahydrate (NaBO 'H O '3 H 0) and the monohydrate (NaBOf H 0 have particularly practical importance. But also other H 0 releasing borates are usable, such as perborax Na B,O -4H O. These compounds may partly or completely be replaced by other carriers of active oxygen, particularly by peroxyhydrates, such as percarbonates, (Na CO -l-5H O perpyrophosphates, citrate perhydrate, percarbamide or melamine-H O com- It is recommended to incorporate conventional water-soluble and/or waterinsoluble stabilizers for percompounds in amounts of from 0.25 to 5% by weight. Suitable as water-insoluble percompound stabilizers are the magnesium silicates with ratios of MgO to SiO of4:l to 1:4, preferably 221 to 1:2 and particularly l:l. These are mostly obtained by precipitation from aqueous solutions. in their place, other alkaline earth metal, cadmium or tin silicates of a corresponding composition are usable. Also water containing oxides of tin are suitable as stabilizers. Water-soluble stabilizers which may be present together with the water-insoluble ones, are the organic sequestering agents whose quantity may amount to 0.25 to 5%, preferably 0.5 to 2.5% of the weight of the whole preparation.

The activated chlorine compounds can also serve as bleaching agents. These activated chlorine compounds can be of an inorganic or organic nature.

The inorganic activated chlorine compounds include alkali metal hypochlorites, which can be used particularly in the form of their mixed salts or addition compounds with orthophosphates or condensed phosphates, such as the alkali metal pyrophosphates and polyphosphates, or with alkali metal silicates. If the detergents according to the invention contain monopersulfates and chlorides, activated chlorine is formed in aqueous solutions.

As organic activated chlorine compounds, particularly the N-chlorine compounds can be used where one or two chlorine atoms are linked to a nitrogen atom and where the third valence of the nitrogen atoms leads preferably to an electron-attracting group, particularly to a CO- or SO group. Among these compounds are dichloroand trichlorocyanuric acid and their salts, such as the alkali metal salts, chlorinated alkyl guanidcs or alkyl biguanides, chlorinated hydantoins and chlorinated melamines.

The optical brighteners which can be utilized in the compositions are mostly, if not exclusively, derivatives of aminostilbenesulfonic acid, or of diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid, of diarylpyrazolines, of carbostyril, of l,- 2-di-(2-benzoxazolyl)-ethylene or 1,2-di-(2- benzimidazolyl)-ethylene, of benzoxazolyl-thiophene and of the coumarins.

Examples of brighteners from the class of the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid derivatives are compounds, according to formula I:

In the formula, R and R represent alkoxy, amino, or residues of aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic, primary or secondary amines as well as residues of aminosulfonic acids, where the aliphatic residues present in the above groups, contain preferably l to 4 and particularly 2 to 4 carbon atoms, while the heterocyclic ring systems are mostly 5 to 6 membered rings. As aromatic amines the residues of the aniline, of the anthranilic acid or the anilinesulfonic acid are preferred. Brighteners, derived from the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid, are mostly used as cotton brighteners. The following 2-(l-hydroxyethyI-Z-benzimidazolyl)-ethylene and lethyl3-phenyl-7-diethylamino-carbostyril. Suitable as brighteners for polyester and polyamide fibers are the compounds 2,5-di-(2-benzoxazoly|)-thiophene, 2-(2- benzoxazolyl)-naphtho[2,3-b]-thiophene, and l,2-di- (5-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)-ethylene.

If the brighteners together with other ingredients of the invention products are present as aqueous solution or paste, and are to be transformed to solids by heat drying, it is recommended to incorporate organic sequestering agents in amounts of at least 0.1%, prefera products, derived from formula I, are commercially My 02% to 1% by weight ofthe solid products in Order available, where R, represents the residue NHC H, and R may represent the following residues: -NH NHCH NHCH CH OH, NHCH C- H OCH NHCH CH CH,OCH N(CH )CH C- HZOH, m0rpll0llnO-, NHC6H5, NHC H,SO H, OCH Some of these brighteners are, in regard to their fiber affinity, regarded as transitional types to the polyamide brighteners, such as the brightener with R NHC H The compound 4,4- bis-(4-phenyl-l ,2,3-triazole-2-yl)-2,2 -stilbenedisulfonic acid belongs also to the cotton brighteners of the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid type.

Diarylpyrazolines of the formula II and Ill belong to the polyamide brighteners.

c 5 R/ \R n: 4 l 6 A N C--Ar TH CH In the formula II R; and R represent hydrogen, alkyl and aryl, optionally substituted by carboxyl, carbonamide or carboxylic acid ester groups, R, and R represent hydrogen or lower alkyl, Ar and Ar, represent aryl radicals, such as phenyl, diphenyl or naphthyl, which may carry further substituents, such as hydroxy, alkto stabilize the brighteners.

The enzyme preparations ot be used are mostly a mixture of enzymes with different effects, such as proteases, carbohydrases, esterases, lipases, oxidoreductases, ctalases, peroxidases, ureases, isomerases, lyases, transferases, desmolases, or nucleases. Of particular interest are the enzymes, obtained from bacteria strains or from fungi, such as Bacillus subtilis or Streptomyces griseus, particularly proteases and amylases, which are relatively stable towards alkalis, percompounds, and anionic tensides and are still effective at temperature up' to C.

Enzyme preparations are marketed by the manufacturers mostly as aqueous solutions of the active substances or as powders, granulates or as cold-sprayed products. They frequently contain sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, alkali metal ortho-, pyroand polyphosphates, particularly tripolyphosphate, as fillers. Dustfree preparations are particularly valued. These are ob tained in a known manner by incorporating of oily or pasty Nonionics or by granulation with the aid of melts of water-of-crystallization-containing salts in their own water-of-crystallization.

Enzymes may be incorporated which are specific for certain types of soil, for example, proteases or amylases or lipases. Preferably, combinations of enzymes with different effects are used, particularly combinations of proteases and amylases.

The products of the invention may also contain antimicrobial substances. These antimicrobial substances are of all types such as bactericidal compounds, bacteristatic compounds, fungicidal compounds and fungistatic compounds. These active antimicrobial substances should be water-soluble either as such or in the form of their salts. The anti-microbial substances used according to the invention are mostly phenol compounds of the type of the halogenated phenols with l to 5 halogen substituents, particularly chlorinated phenols, such as alkylphenols, cycloalkylphenols, aralkylphenols and phenylphenols with l to l2 carbon atoms in the alkyl radicals, and with l to 4 halogen substituents, particularly chlorine and bromine in the molecule; alkylene bisphenols, particularly derivatives substituted by 2 to 6 halogen atoms and, optionally, lower alkyl or trifluoromethyl groups, with an alkylene bridging member consisting of l to l0 carbon atoms; hydroxybenzoic acids or their esters and amides, particularly anilides, which can be substituted in the benzoic acid and/or aniline radical particularly by 2 or 3 halogen atoms and/or trifluoromethyl groups; phenoxyphenols which can be substituted by 1 to 7, preferably 2 to halogen atoms and/or the hydroxyl, cyano, carbomethoxy and carboxyl groups or a lower alkyl; a specially preferred derivative of ophenoxyphenol is 2-hydroxy-2,4,4'-trichloride phenylether.

For liquid and pasty preparations, water-soluble organic solvents can be used, such as lower alkanols with l to 5 carbon atoms, for example, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, amyl alcohol, also lower alkanones such as acetone and methylethyl ketone, as well as ethylene-glycol and diethylene glycol and their mono or di-methyl or ethyl ether. Of practical interest is particularly isopropanol.

The following examples are illustrative of the practice of the invention without being limitative in any respect.

EXAMPLES The aliphatically substituted aminocarbonamides of the formula 1 RNHACONH,

where R represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and A represents a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene, which can be used as textile softening compounds compatible with anionic detergent compositions according to the invention, can be prepared according to one of the methods described below. These active textile softening amino-carbonamides are listed in Table 1. Preparation Procedure for Aminoacetamides 0.2 mol of the desired primary amine were dissolved in ethanol and 0.35 mol of a 30% aqueous formaldehyde as well as 0.2 mol of cone. hydrochloric acid were added. 0.2 mol of sodium cyanide dissolved in water were added in drops to the ice-cold solution under stirring. Subsequently the mixture was stirred for 3 hours at 5C and for 24 hours at room temperature. After the solvent was distilled off under vacuum, the aminonitrile was obtained as a colorless oil in addition to common salt. The aminonitriles could be obtained in crystalline form by recrystallization from hexane, but they were mostly saponified directly with sulfuric acid. To this end l mol of the crude aminonitrile was added slowly under vigorous stirring to 550 ml ofa 96% sulfuric acid. Then the mixture was heated on the steam bath until a dark brown solution had formed. This solution was poured over ice and the precipitated sulfate of the aminocarbonamide was filtered off, suspended in water, and adjusted to a pH of 9-10 with 2 N sodium hydroxide solution. The crude product thus obtained was recrystallized from ethanol. The a-aminopropionamide can be produced in a similar manner by using acetaldehyde in place of formaldehyde. Preparation Procedure for B-Aminopropionamides 142 gm (2.0 mols) of acrylamide recrystallized from benzene were added in portions over the course of 30 minutes under stirring to a melt of the primary aliphatic amine heated to 100C, and the clear melt was subsequently heated for 1 hour each at 110C, 120C and 130C. The cooled product was recrystallized from ethanol.

TABLE 1 Characteristic Data Active Substance In Table I the term tallowalkyl denotes the aliphatic hydrocarbon residue with the distribution of the chain lengths and possible double bonds of the corresponding natural fats.

The following Examples describe the composition of some preparations according to the invention.

The salt-like constituents contained in the following,

such as salt-like surface-active compounds, other organic salts, as well as inorganic salts, are present as the sodium salts, unless otherwise stated. The expressions and abbreviations used have the following meanings:

ABS is the salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid with 10 to 15, preferably 11 to 13, carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, obtained by condensing straight-chain olefins with benzene and sulfonating the alkylbenzene thus formed.

Alkanesulfonate is a sulfonate obtained from paraffins with 12 to 16 carbon atoms by the sulfoxidation method.

PS-ester sulfonate is the sulfonate in the a-posi- .tion, obtained from the methyl esters of a hardened tallow fatty acid by sulfonation with S0 Olefin sulfonate is a sulfonate obtained from mixtures of olefins with 12 to 18 carbon atoms by sulfonating with S0 and hydrolyzing the sulfonation product with an alkaline liquor, which sulfonate consists substantially of alkenesulfonate and hydroxyalkanesulfonate, but contains in addition small quantities of disulfonates. Each olefin sulfonate-containing preparation was prepared by use of two different types of olefin sulfonate, one was prepared from a mixture of straightchain terminal olefins and the other from a mixture of non-terminal olefins.

KA-sulfate" and TA-sulfate are the salts of sulfated substantially saturated fatty alcohols. prepared by reduction of coconut fatty acid and tallow fatty acid, respectively.

KA-EO-sulfate" and TA-EO-sulfate" are the sulfated products of addition of 2 mols of ethylene oxide to 1 mol of coconut fatty alcohol and of 3 mols of ethylene oxide to 1 mol of tallow fatty alcohol. respectively.

0A 5 E0", KA 20 E0", KA 9 EO +12 PO and NP 9 EO" are the addition products ofethylene oxide (E0) or propylene oxide (PO) to technical oleyl alcohol (0A), coconut fatty alcohol (KA) or nonylphenol(NP), respectively, where the numbers represent the molar amounts of alkylene oxide adducted to 1 mol of starting material.

Perborate" is a product containing about 10% activated oxygen of the approximate composition. NaBO H202'3H20.

EDTA" is the salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

Soap A or Soap B are soaps produced from a fatty acid mixture of 9% by weight of C 14% by weight of C and 77% by weight of C (iodine number 3) (Soap A); or 8% by weight ofC 32% by weight of C 12% by weight ofC and 48% by weight of C (iodine number 4) (Soap B).

CMC" is the salt of carboxymethylcellulose.

1n the Examples, the non-surface-active foam inhibitors used were, for example, a mixture of about of a di(alkylamino)-monochlorotriazine and about of a N,N,N"-trialkylmelamine. In these triazine derivatives the alkyl residue may be present as mixtures of homologs with 8 to 18 carbon atoms. The monochlorotriazine derivatives or trialkylaminotriazine derivatives can also be used with a similar result. Provided the described washing compositions contain synthetic sulfates or sulfonates together with soap, the other nonsurface-active foam inhibitors mentioned in the description can be used, as for example, paraffin oil or paraffin. It is advisable to incorporate the non-surfaceactive foam inhibitor used separately in the washing composition, for example, dissolved in a suitable organic solvent or sprayed in the molten state on the moving powder by means of a nozzle.

The quantitative data in all examples refer to the pure substances. These substances may contain impuri- EXAMPLE 1 The method according to the invention was carried out in an automatic washing machine with a wash liquor of the following composition:

0.5 gm/l of a surfactant mixture consisting of:

0.25 gm of ABS 0.10 gm of Soap B and 0.15 gm of KA-EO-sulfate 0.4 gm/] of textile softener 1.6 gm/l of sodium tripolyphosphate The washing was effected at 50C and a liquor ratio of 1:25. The water hardness was 190 ppm CaO. A new cotton fabric without finish washed under these conditions and a cotton fabric prehardened under defined conditions were definitely softer after washing than identical fabric samples which had been washed with a wash liquor without textile softenerv The active substances Nos. l, 4, 8 and 9 listed in Table l were used as textile softeners.

if textiles of synthetic fibers, such as polyester, polyacrylonitrile and polyamide were washed under the same conditions, these textiles are characterized after washing apart from an improved soft feel, by an improved appearance and by antistatic properties.

The following Examples 2 to 7 of Table 11 describe some powdered detergent preparations for carrying out the method according to the invention. As textile softeners, any of the active substances listed in Table 1 can be used.

As brighteners, depending on the material, cotton brighteners, polyamide brighteners, polyester brighteners and combinations thereof are used.

TABLE 11 Ingredient of Preparation Percent by Weight of Ingredient in the Preparation According to Example ABS Alkanesulfonate Fs-ester-sulfonate Olefinsulfonate KA-sulfate TA-sulfate KA-EO-sulfate TA-EO-sulfate Soap A Soap B KA 20 E0 KA 9 E0 12 PO Non-surfactant suds inhibitor Coconut fatty acid monoethanolamide Textile softener Na,SO Na,O.3.3SiO, S S HI Na P,O, Perborate MgSiO EDTA CMC

Brightener Balance I l gi 2| I l l l l l l 1 5i lllzlllllllll fligiiliililili EXAMPLE 8 10% Alkane sulfonate 5% TA-EO-sulfate 5% 0A 5 E0 5% textile solftener 0.5% 2-hydroxy-2,4,4'-trich1orodiphenyl ether 12% potassium pyrophosphate 5% potassium toluenesulfonate 15% isopropanol Balance water.

1f the detergents of the above-mentioned Examples are used in household or industrial washing machines, good washing and softening results can be achieved under low and high temperature washing conditions.

If preparations with a content of enzymes are to be produced, commercial products are used which are standardized by the manufacturers, in the case of solid enzyme concentrates, by the addition of inorganic salts, mostly sodium sulfate or sodium polyphosphate, in quantities of 7 to 15% by weight, for example, to the following activities:

a protease with 125,000 LVE/gm an amylase with 75,000 SKBE/gm a lipase with 10,000 lE/gm The preceding specific embodiments are illustrative of the practice of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that other expedients known to those skilled in the art or disclosed herein, may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A one-step process for the washing and softening of textiles which consists essentially of immersing soiled textiles in an aqueous softening washing liquor bath at temperatures of from 20C to 100C for a time sufficient to clean and soften said textiles and recovering said cleaned and softened textiles, said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath containing 1. from 0.15 to 0.5 gm/liter of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 0.05 to 0.4 gm/liter of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting ofalkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;

3. from 0.6 to 2.0 gm/liter of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of said washing liquor bath is 7 or over;

with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein R is derived from the fatty acid mixtures of natural fats and oils and their hydrogenation products.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein said natural fats and oils are selected from the group consisting of tallow, coconut fat, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rape oil and their hydrogenation products.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein A is methylene.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein A is ethylene.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 30C to 60C.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 75C to 98C and said aqueous softening washing liquor bath has a further content of from 0.01 to 0.05 gm/liter of active oxygen in the form of a percompound.

9. A detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 12 to 50% by weight of a mixture of a surface-active component consisting essentially of:

1. from 50 to by weight of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from 0 to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps. at least some of said soaps having from 20 to 26 carbon atoms, and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 10 to 50% by weight of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl, having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;

3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and

4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers;

B. from 50 to 88% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and

C. from 0 to 30% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositrons:

(a) bleaches and their stabilizers and activators,

(b) soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners, (d) enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water;

with the proviso that the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.

10. The detergent composition of claim 9 wherein said component A is present in an amount of from 15 to 30% by weight, said component B is present in an amount of from 55 to 84.5% by weight and said component C is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 15% by weight, and the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent composition is from 5 to 15% by weight.

11. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein said component C includes from 5 to 25% by weight of said detergent composition of bleaches and their stabilizers and activators.

12. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

13. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats.

14. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein A is methylene.

15. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein A is ethylene. 

1. FROM 0.15 TO 0.5 GM/LITER OF A TENSIDE COMPONENT CONSISTING OF FROM 20 TO 100% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF ANIONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE SULFONATES AND SULFATES WITH FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS IN THE HYDROPHOBIC MOIETY, FROM 0 TO 80% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF SOAPS AND FROM 0 TO 45% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF NON-IONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE COMPOUNDS;
 2. FROM 0.05 TO 0.4 GM/LITER OF A SOFTENER COMPONENT AMINOCARBONAMIDE OF THE FORMULA R - NH - A - CONH2 WHEREIN R IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL HAVING 10 TO 24 CARBON ATOMS, ALKENYL HAVING 10 TO 24 CARBON ATOMS, ALKADIENYL HAVING 10 TO 24 CARBON ATOMS AND A IS A DIVALENT LINKAGE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHYLENE, ETHYLENE AND ETHYLIDENE;
 2. from 0.05 to 0.4 gm/liter of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula R - NH - A - CONH2 wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.
 2. from 10 to 50% by weight of a softener component aminocarbonamide of the formula R - NH - A - CONH2 wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl, having 10 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and A is a divalent linkage selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and ethylidene;
 3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and
 3. The proceSs of claim 1 wherein R is derived from the fatty acid mixtures of natural fats and oils and their hydrogenation products.
 3. from 0.6 to 2.0 gm/liter of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of said washing liquor bath is 7 or over; with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.
 3. FROM 0.6 TO 2.0 GM/LITER OF AT LEAST ONE CONVENTIONAL BUILDER SALT WHEREIN SUFFICIENT ALKALINE-REACTING BUILDER SALTS ARE PRESENT WHEREBY THE PH OF SAID WASHING LIQUOR BATH IS 7 OR OVER; WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE AMOUNT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT IS AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE AMOUNT OF SAID SOFTENER COMPONENT.
 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said natural fats and oils are selected from the group consisting of tallow, coconut fat, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rape oil and their hydrogenation products.
 4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers; B. from 50 to 88% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and C. from 0 to 30% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositions: (a) bleaches and their stabilizers and activators, (b) soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners, (d) enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water; with the proviso that the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein A is methylene.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein A is ethylene.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 30*C to 60*C.
 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 75*C to 98*C and said aqueous softening washing liquor bath has a further content of from 0.01 to 0.05 gm/liter of active oxygen in the form of a percompound.
 9. A detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of: A. from 12 to 50% by weight of a mixture of a surface-active component consisting essentially of:
 10. The detergent composition of claim 9 wherein said component A is present in an amount of from 15 to 30% by weight, said component B is present in an amount of from 55 to 84.5% by weight and said component C is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 15% by weight, and the amount of said aminocarbonamide in said detergent composition is from 5 to 15% by weight.
 11. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein said component C includes from 5 to 25% by weight of said detergent composition of bleaches and their stabilizers and activators.
 12. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.
 13. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats.
 14. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein A is methylene.
 15. The detergent composition of claim 10 wherein A is ethylene. 